Bale tie package



H. HELL BALE 1 IE PACKAGE Filed March 2, 1954 Patented July 19, 1938UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BALE TIE PACKAGE Application March 2,

2 Claims.

This is a continuation in part of my copending application, Serial No.539,623, filed May 23rd, 1931, entitled Wire bundling machine.

This invention has to do with the wrapping and tagging of elongatedbundles such as bundles of lengths of material such as lengths of wire,bale ties and the like.

In the past, it has been customary to fasten an identification tagbearing some such indicia as the name of the manufacturer anddescription of the material wrapped, to elongated bundles such asbundles ofbale ties, at some point intermediate the ends of the bundle.The bundles particularly at the place of manufacture are stored inracks, bins and the like awaiting shipment. Oftentimes bundles of tiesof different dimensions would be placed together and this wouldnecessitate withdrawal of the various bundles bodily from the rack orbin so that the tag 20 fastened thereto could be examined and the sizeof tie of the particular'bundle determined. In this way, it is apparentthat much time has been consumed in order that no mistake might be madein the shipment of the bundles.

Bundles of lengths of wire such as bale ties are oftentimes several feetin length and are of considerable weight, bundles weighing individuallyin the neighborhood of one hundred pounds being not uncommon. It willeasily be underused in determining the size of the ties wrapped in theindividual bundles stored in the rack or bin, but considerable effortalso is necessary.

It has also been customary in the past to wrap bundles of this characterby means of a number of individual wire rings placed about the assembledties at intervals which may vary with the size of the bundles and havebeen usually six to eight inches, more or less. This means of 4,0Wrapping the bundle has been found unsatisfactory. One reason for thedissatisfaction is due to the accidental mingling of at least some ofthe rings with the material to be baled, when the rings are severed asthe bundle is being unwrapped. Another reason for the dissatisfaction isthat these rings would slip along the bundle, due among other things toengagement with other bundles, both before and during shipment, thusrequiring redressing.

Accordingly the principal objects of the invention are, among otherthings: the provision of a wrapping for an elongated bundle, embodyingan identification means arranged in full view when the bundles arestored in a rack, bin or the like; to provide an improved bundlewrapstood then that not only is considerable time 1934, Serial No.713,655

ping means embodying substantially a single substantially wrappingelement extending throughout'the length of the bundle; to provide awrapping means for a bundle of this character requiring no redressing;to provide a wrap-- ping means which may be more quickly, applied andremoved than the spaced individual ring wraps heretofore in use; toprovide a single wrapping element for the elongated bundle, whichelement serves also as a means for attaching,

spirally wound along the bundle toward the other end, where it issecured to one or more of the free opposite ends of the wires or otherelements being wrapped. Thereafter the cover for that end is secured inplace over the secured part of the wrappingstrand, thereby completingthe wrapping of the bundle. 5

Other important objects and advantages of the invention willappear asthe description proceeds. it

This invention (in a preferred form) is illustrated in the drawing andhereinafter more fully described. I

On the drawing:

Figure l is a fragmentary elevationalview, showing a bundle wrapped inaccordance with the present invention, a portion being broken away tobetter show certain details.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary elevational view, of a part of the bundleshown in Figure 1, taken from that shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an end view of a bundle to which a tag is secured inaccordance with the invention Figure 4 illustrates a rack or bin inwhich are stored a plurality of bundles made in accordance with thepresent invention, so that the size of material bundled may be readilyidentified, and Figure 5 is a phantom isometric View showing thearrangement of the wrapping strand atth large end of the bundle. 7

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, wherein one form of theinvention is illustrated, the bundle chosen for illustrative purposes ismade up of a plurality of elongated elements such as wire bale ties lwhose looped ends 2. are arranged together at one mam con'sti- 30between the wrapping ring 6 and the center of tute the head or large endof the bundle as shown in Figures 1 and 2. The ties I are initiallyarranged in small bundles of about twenty-five each and are bound thusas by rings 3, after which they are placed to form bundles to be wrappedIn accordance with the present invention as shown.

With the ties I thus assembled, a larger ring 4 is wrapped about thesmaller end 5 of the bundle, another such'ring 6 is wrapped about theties adjacent the loops thereof, and a third large ring I is wrappedabout the loops of the ties near the terminal of the large end 8 of thebundle. Thus the ties are held together preparatory to the wrapping ofthe bundlein'accordance with the invention.

A preferably flexible cover such as one made of burlap at 9 is thenplaced overjthe loops2of, the.

to the assembled ties I. I j V Now,,one end II of a wrapping strand I2,is passed through an opening I3 of a tag I4 of pasteboard or the like,bearing any desired identification such as'the name of the manufactureranddescription of the ties Wrapped. Said end of the wrapping strand iscoiled one or moretimes about someof the ties as shownat I5,preferablythe bundle, so that a substantial portion of said end I I extends freeof the coiled or wrapped portion I5 as shown in Figure 1. The tag' I4 isslid along the strand from the coiled portion to an extentsubstantiallyequal to the distance of the coiled portion from theextremity or terminal I6 of the large end 8.0f the bundle, and thestrand I2 is then brought longitudinally; along 'thecover 9 and'wrappedabout theterminal IS with the strand engaging the major portion of theprinted face I! of the tag,'preferably centrally thereof. In so wrappingthestrand, the same is preferably under sufficient tension-to cause thesame to form grooves I8 and tightly engage therein as at l9. The portionof the strand I2 engaging the tag I4 islikewise depressed therein as at20, so that the strand is not only held from slipping off the large endof the bundle, but is wrapped so as;to prevent the tag I l from slidingrelative to the same. Of course, by virtue of thepassage of the strandI2 through an opening I3 in the tag I, the tag I4 is anchored, but theabove-mentioned arrangement is desirable so that the tag l4 may beheldtightly in substantially the relationshown,

where it also serves as ashield for the cover terminal I61 v y Thestrand I2 on the side opposite the loop or coil-[Sis extended-alongthe'covering -9 over the wire rings I and, when the free edge 2| of ,thecovering -Bis reached, the strand is turned about the bundlesubstantially 180 to the extremity ll of, the strand, said extremitybeing free to such an extentas to enable the same to be wrapped orcoiled preferably a plurality of times about the strand as shown at 2 2.The strand I2 is then doubled back at 23 and wrapped in coils at 24about-the burlap adjacent its edge 2| preferably in the direction of theterminal 16. Thereafter the strand is directed toward the opposite end,of the bundle as shown at 25 and positioned -pref-, erablyso as toengage the extremity II of'the strand l2 so that saidextremity serves asan From ;l7:his point, the strand 'l2.is spiral wrapped ldo notterminate flush with one at 26 with a pitch substantially greater thanthe pitch of the coils 24. In a bundle of approximately eight feet inlength and weighing approximately forty pounds, a pitch of approximatelythree inches has been found to be satisfactory, although it is to beunderstood that other pitches for bundles of the same and differentsizes may be readily arrived at.

The spiralling of the strand I2 is preferably continued to the small endof the bundle. In a bundle of this character, the small ends of the tiesanother. Rather, the tie ends terminate at various points as shown at 21in Figure 1, so that one or more of the tie ends are sufficiently freeof the neighboring ends as to enable the strand I2 to be coiled one ormore times about such end 28 or ends as shown at 29; Such coiledportions may, in the handling of the bundle, be bent against theneighboring tie ends 21. The strand is coiled preferably tightly at 29and cooperates with the neighboring tie or ties so 'as to provide ananchorage for the strand to prevent the strand from slipping from thesmall end of the bundle toward the center of the bundle.

, It will be evident that in completing the spiral wrapping of thestrand I2, the latter passes about the wire ring 4. When the securementof the end of the strand at 29 is completed, a covering 30 of preferablythe same flexible material as the covering 9 is placed over the smallend of the bundle as shown at the right in Figure 1. The covering 3|] ispreferably wired in place as by the rings-3l. Now the wrapping of thebundle is completed.

The wrapping of the strand I2 may be accomplished in any desired way.One manner of so doing involves the rotation of the bundle by preferablymechanical means while a source of strand wire such as a spool is movedlongitudinally of the bundle. A means for carrying out this methodisdisclosed in my copending application above identified. Or, if desired,the bundle may be moved longitudinally while the spool or other sourceof strand wire is rotated about the bundle. It will be observed that aglanceat the large terminal of the bundle will show at once thedescription of the contents of the bundle, so that when a plurality ofbundles are placed together in a rack or bin 32 as shown in Figure 4 orsimilarly placed together in shipment or at their destination, withtheir tags I4 arranged in full view as illustrated, the contents of thevarious bundles are readily made known. The likelihood of making anerror in shipment is thus obviated, and the segregation of the bundlesin accordance with the description of the material bundled is greatlyfacilitated.

It will be seen from the foregoing that the time consumed in wrapping abundle inaccordance with the present invention is considerably reducedrelative to the time consumed in wrapping a bundle by spaced rings ashereinabove described or in other ways; that substantially a singlestrand is employed for completley wrapping substantially the entirebundle, so that although the strand is securely fastened about the ties,it may nevertheless be readily removed when desired; that the means forwrapping the bundle also serves as the meansfor securing anidentification tag in place; that the identification tag is arranged soas to readily make known the contents of a plurality of bundles withoutnecessi-. tating movement of any of the bundles; that the bundle willnot require redressing at any time.

For the purpose of enhancing the appearance of the bundle, the strand l2may be provided with a finish such as copper plate or the like, thestrand being preferably made of steel wire for the purpose of strength.Any other color surfacing may be provided, preferably one that contrastswith the finish of the ties l and preferably also with the color of thecoverings 9 and 30 and the tag I l.

The term bundle in the description and claims is to be understood asincluding in its scope an assembly of elongated pieces and also a lengthof elongated material.

I am aware that many changes may be made and numerous details ofconstruction may be varied through a wide range without departing fromthe principles of this invention, and I,

therefore, do not purpose limiting the patent.

granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

1. A package comprising a bundle of elongated elements, a cover on anend of said bundle, a binding wire having one end anchored to saidelements intermediate the ends thereof, said binding wire being disposedextending along one side of said cover, then across the covered end ofsaid bundle, then along the other side of said bundle, then interengagedwith said one end to define an abutment, then spiraled about said cover,and then engaged against said abutment and spiraled lengthwise of thebundle.

2. A package comprising an elongated bundle having a first end portionand a second end portion, a binding wire having one end thereof anchoredto said bundle at a point in the vicinity of the first end portion ofsaid bundle, said binding wire being disposed extending longitudinallyfrom said point along one side of said bundle, then transversely acrossthe end of the first end portion of said bundle, then longitudinallyalong the other side of said bundle, then interengaged with said one endof the wire to define an abutment, then banded about said first endportion of said bundle, and then engaged about said abutment andspiraled lengthwise of said bundle towards the second end portion of thebundle.

HARRY W. HILL.

